Hannah and Douglas promised to spend the rest of their lives together in front of friends and family at the timelessly splendid Willowbrook Park in Hamilton. Photos of the day show the couple full of love and enjoying their special day together while they roam around the venue.
Hannah wowed in Stevie by Maggie Sottero, a sparkle tulle A-line princess gown with a floral and leaf motif decorating the bodice, trickling down into the skirt. The sequined flower on the bodice add a hint of shimmer and the addition of flutter sleeves completes the princess look. She paired her gown with our cut edge veil, a simple accessory that pulls together her look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their day as much as we do!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The dress I ended up choosing was the first dress I wish-listed on the Astra Bridal website, and the last dress I tried on in the store, as it became buried in the dressing room under other dresses. Trust your instincts, I guess!
I chose the dress because it gave me that fairytale/princess vibe without being over-the-top. I loved that it had lace (but not too much lace), and a long train (but not too long). While the dress itself was an easy choice, it took me a few visits to decide on what sleeves and veil I wanted. The staff were very patient as I went back and forth trying on all sorts of combinations.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I took some close friends and my mum with me to the store as part of my bridal shower. I like to think I'm pretty good at making decisions independently (some would say too independently) but it was great to have them along to bolster my confidence. My confidence was also boosted by the stock at Astra Bridal, which suited a whole range of styles and body types.
The staff were all lovely and made me feel very comfortable. It's a pretty vulnerable thing trying on wedding dresses - half nude in a dressing room trying to pick potentially the most expensive and emotionally charged dress of your life - but they made me feel completely at ease.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We began as good friends with nerdy shared interests going through the trials of law school together. We eventually became more than just friends, to the surprise and joy of our mutual friends!
After about 6 or 7 years of dating, Douglas planned to propose during an overseas trip in mid 2020 - he'd already asked my parents for permission and everything - but we all know what happened in 2020! After a year or so of my parents having to keep the proposal discussion secret, Douglas organised a trip for the pair of us to Queenstown. I knew something like that was up then, as usually I'm the one who does the trip planning; I just didn't know when or what. He bent the knee at the Queenstown onsen and I dropped my glasses in the spa in a happy fluster.
What was your favourite part of the day?
That my 100-year-old Grandma was able to attend. It was a little touch-and-go there, but in the weeks leading up to it she decided that she was going to attend no matter what. I think she was a little bemused by all the attention she got at the wedding, but it was wonderful to have her there.
I also loved that I was able to wear my mum's earrings from her wedding day. They're these big late eighties/early nineties pearls that I adore and would wear all the time if I could.
If you'll allow me a third favourite part - and truly I could keep adding favourite bits forever - I really enjoyed having photos done while we pranced around the fairytale venue grounds. Getting photos done before the ceremony meant we could have some time together without having to worry about guests waiting on us, as well as some time to enjoy looking so fancy.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Our bridal party (my brother as the Man of Honour and Doug's sister as the Best Lady) along with our parents and close friends helped us a ton with getting ready and setting up. I had woken up that day with a pretty bad cold, but thankfully adrenaline kicked in and suppressed my symptoms until after everything was finished.
For the wedding itself, we had a "vow renewal" ceremony followed by speeches and a high tea. We'd already had a legal wedding ceremony in Wellington a few months before with a party, canapes and dancing, so for this event we didn't feel like we needed to go all evening. The main thing I wanted was to have the experience of walking down the aisle in a white dress with my dad, like I'd thought about when I was little.
Afterwards, we had a quiet dinner and then relaxed with whiskey at the venue with close friends who had travelled up. I spent most of this part with a box of tissues, as the cold had come back with a vengeance.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Put aside some time the day after the wedding to have both
time with family and time alone together. We had breakfast with our immediate
family the next day, and it was wonderful to debrief together about the day
before. Afterwards, Douglas and I went to Hamilton Gardens by ourselves. The day
after a wedding, there is such a mingled rush of happiness, love and relief that
is nice to dwell in it together before heading back to the real world.
